Cathode ray tube structure



July 31, 1962 J. T. MCNANEY CATHODE RAY TUBE STRUCTURE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 2, 1959 mm QN m mm mm d mm- INVENTOR JOSEPH 7T MCNANEY Filed Dec. 2, 1959 J T. MCNANEY CATHODE RAY TUBE STRUCTURE (D l mvianmwtlsm l 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

JOSEPH T. McNANEY July 31, 1962 J T. MCNANEY CATHODE RAY TUBE STRUCTURE 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Dec. 2, 1959 INVENTOR. Joss u T McNANEv fire 3,047,768 CATHODE RAY TUBE STRUCTURE Joseph T. McNaney, La Mesa, Calif, assignor to General Dynamics Corporation, Rochester, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 2, 1959, Ser. No. 856,783 5 Claims. (Cl. 315-31) The invention relates generally to a cathode ray tube structure, and more particularly to its target, which target is capable of providing a depth dimension to the normal two dimension display.

Various cathode ray tubes have in recent years been used as a source of visual information in areas utilizing displays such as moving aircraft, sea surveillance and land surveillance. It has been found that such displays are normally limited, showing the target motion and position as merely a two-dimensional display indicating an X axis position and a Y axis position. Such displays are satisfactory for many applications. However, there are many applications in which the Z axis component, together with the X and Y axis component, in radar displays would be desirable in a display, for instance separating different altitude aircraft. Normally such information would have to be provided by another cathode ray tube display in addition to, for instance, a plan position indicator display showing X and Y axis positions. The present invention combines the X, Y and Z component to provide depth, as for example, range, azimuth and elevation of one or more targets, planes or ships in a single display.

The invention utilizes as its basic component an ordinary cathode ray tube having disposed at one end thereof, a beam generating and projecting means and at the other end thereof, a target. In between the target and the target means may be disposed at least one set of deflection plates or a deflection means to influence the projected electron beam to position it upon the target at a desired position. The tube may in addition utilize a beam shaping member such as is exemplified in my US. Patent Nos. 2,735,956 and 2,761,988, and utilizing therewith the various beam influencing members necessary to create the shape of the beam and to position it upon the target. 7

An important part of the present invention is the target means or the target. Target construction, in its basic concept, utilizes a pair of plates or disks which may be circular or rectangular, or of any desired geometric configuration. Such disks may be similar to those marketed under the trademark Photo-Form by the Corning Glass Company of Corning, New York. This disk has approximately two hundred perforations to the inch, or more, and is constructed of self-supporting glass. These disks may be placed at or adjacent an electrically conductive optically transparent coating or an EC coating of, for example, a type known by the trademark Nesa. Nesa coating is an electrically conductive glass coating made by the Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Such an electrically conductive coating may be disposed directly upon the target area of the cathode ray tube itself, if desired, and upon the disks. The first disk may be placed thereupon the target area and subsequent disks may be supported in spaced apart relation, each from the other, and the target mounted toward the one end of the tube. I

Disposed upon one side of the disk may be an elec trically conductive layer or Nesa coating. On the other side thereof may be disposed an electron responsive target or a transparent phosphor. The disks or plates therefore are stacked one upon each other and in spaced apart relation to each other from the faceplate of the tube toward the one end of the tube. With respect to the one ent of the tube where the beam generating means is positioned the plates are disposed generally perpendicularly with re spect to the path of travel of the electron beam. Eacl of the plates or disks stacked one upon the other am in spaced apart relation thereto, has disposed upon it: surface facing the one end of the tube the transparen' phosphor; and upon its surface facing way from the one end of the tube, the electrically conductive (EC) coat ing. Both the transparent phosphor and the EC coating are substantially transparent to light, and may therefore be viewed therethrough.

in the simplest form, two disks may be utilized. Upor the surface of each disk facing the one end of the tube may be disposed the transparent phosphor. Upon the faceplate of the tube against which the one disk rest: may be disposed the electrically conductive coating. Upor the disk mounted in spaced apart relation to the other disk both being positioned perpendicularly to the path of the beam, may be disposed the EC coating in a manner so a! to face the transparent phosphor coating of the othe1 disk. The perforations of the two disks should be it alignment, so that an electron beam may penetrate serially therethrough. In operation thereof, the EC coating may be maintained positive, for example. This con dition affects the beam of negative electrons, tending tc converge the beam and causing it to strike the EC coat ing upon the faceplate and be carried away to ground When, however, the EC coating upon the faceplate, fol example, is made negative, the electron beam will see an electron lens created at the perforations of the othe1 disk adjacent its EC coating, which will diverge the beam, or, open it up, thus causing electrons of the elec' tron beam to spread with a portion thereof, causing ex citation of the transparent phosphor. Thus an indica tion upon the transparent phosphor is registered.

Of course subsequent disks may be stacked one upor the other, all with their respective perforations generall; in alignment, each having on its oppositely facing sides disposed alternately EC coatings or layers and transparen' phosphor coatings or layers. The EC layers, togethe1 with other EC layers of the other disks, each has im pressed thereon predetermined potentials which may be altered so as to create desired lensing actions to len: the electron beam to divergent or convergent electror beam paths.

It is possible of course to select the particuluar disl upon which the excitation will occur. This in turn Wil give the third, or Z, component dimension providing deptl in the display upon the cathode ray tube.

In addition to the aforestated objects and advantages, it is an object of the present invention to provide a simple and trouble free cathode ray tube construction providing a display with a depth dimension added to the displays normally showing only two dimensions, resulting in 2 three dimensional display thereupon.

"It is another object of the present invention to provide in a cathode ray tube construction, a simple and trouble free target means capable of providing three dimensional displays utilizing disks having sufiicient perforations therein to minimize the resulting loss of definition of the display in a three dimension display.

It is a further object of the invention to provide E target means within a cathode ray tube constructior which, through a selective lensing action upon the electror beam, will cause indications at predetermined depth di mensions upon an excitable target to indicate its depth.

It is a further object of the invention to provide in 2 cathode ray tube construction a target means wherein the number of target levels may be regulated by providing one disk for each target level, plus one added disk.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will 9 a hereinafter become apparent as a description of the invention proceeds.

The novel features of the invention and how the objects are attained will appear more fully from the specification and the accompanying drawings showing embodiments of the invention, and forming a part hereof, and all of these features as are and intended to be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1(a) and (b) shows in (a) thereof a schematic representation of a cathode ray tube construction embodying the present invention, and in part (b) thereof, shows a portion of a disk of the target means showing its Eoraminous construction;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged partial section of part of the target means showing the electron beam travel through Lhe perforations in two of the aligned perforations and stacking of the disks;

FIGURE 3 (a) and (b) are schematic descriptive partial sections of the target means showing symbolically the lensing action of adjacent disk perforations in the presence and absence of various potential conditions upon the disks.

Referring more particularly to FIGURE 1, there is ;hown therein a cathode ray tube construction having positioned at one end 11 of the tube 10 the beam genera-tng and projecting means 14. Means 14 generates and projects an electron beam 18 toward the other end 15 Jf tube 10. The electron beam 18 may be generated and projected generally along the longitudinal axis 17 of the tube. Intermediate the means 14 providing electron beam [8, and impingement of beam 18 upon target means 20 positioned adjacent the other end 15 of tube 10 is exempliied a deflection means 22. Deflection means 22 is exemplary only, and may include electromagnetic, or as herein :xemplified, electrostatic means for deflecting the beam along two axes onto the target means 20. It should be .ealized that this construction is exemplified simply and :omplexity has been avoided. Constructions other than is shown providing additional features with greater con- :rol and more complex utilization of electro-optical elenents may be utilized.

It may be desired to utilize shaped electron beams in accordance with the teachings of my US. Patent No. 2,735,956 or 2,761,988, utilizing circuitry as taught by me n my US. Patent No. 2,850,723.

The target means 20, which is positioned adjacent the )ther end 15 of the tube 10, may be selectively operated :0 respond to electron beam 18 for impingement therelpon. Target means 20, so responding to the selective mpingement of the electron beam 18 thereupon, may :omprises as exemplified herein at least two disks, or a plu- 'ality thereof, namely, disks 25, 26, 27, '28, and 29 as thown in FIGURE 1(a). An exemplary disk 26, for nstance, is partially illustrated, showing a small section hereof in FIGURE 1(b). FIGURE 1(b) exemplifies the foraminous construction of the disk and shows the peri'orations 32 formed therethrough. Commercially obvainable disks such as those previously stated herein sold inder the trademark Photo-Form may be used. Each f the disks 25, 26, 27, '28, and 29, having the foraminous :onstruction, in stacked and spaced apart relation to each ther, has its perforations 32 aligned one with the other, 10 that electron beam 18 travelling along the longitudinal lXiS 17 and deflected therefrom, passes serially through it least one complete series of aligned openings or perforaions from disk through to disk 29, for example. As s shown in greater detail in FIGURE 2, disks 25 through 29 are preferably stacked one above the other, that is, tom the other end 15 of the tube 10 toward the one end ll of the tube 10, and disposed substantially perpenlicularly with respect to the longitudinal axis 17 of the ube 10. Being so disposed, the disks 25 through 29 tre generally perpendicular to, or substantially so, so that he disks may be described as being perpendicularly disposed with respect to the beam 18 at the said other end 4 15 of the tube 10. Therefore, electron beam 18 may be caused to traverse the path along such a serially aligned opening or perforation path unimpeded by the disks themselves.

In further explanation of the target means, its disks 25 through 29, in which disk 29 is exemplarily mounted upon the faceplate 34 of the other end 15 of the tube 10, and disk 28, is mounted toward the one end 11 of the tube 10 in predetermined spaced apart relation to the disk 29. As is readily seen in the structure of FIGURE 2, subsequently disposed disks 27, 26 and 25 are also spaced apart from each other by the spaced apart dimension, which may be a predetermined dimension, as desired. Disks 26 through 29 preferably have disposed upon each of their surfaces and if desired adjacent the perforations 32 as shown in FIGURE 3(a) and (b) on the side facing the one end 11 of the tube 10, a target bearing material capable of responding to electrons, such as a transparent phosphor 38. As exemplified, the first disk 25 need not be provided with the transparent phosphor if desired; however, it may be if so desired. On the side away from the one end 11 of tube 10 and toward the other end 15 or toward the faceplate 34, is disposed upon each of disks 25 to 29, the BC or electrically conductive layer 40 facing the opposed spaced apart layer of phosphor 38 upon the adjacent disk. While the disk 29 is exemplified as resting upon or against the EC layer 40 upon faceplate 34, it should be understood that this last conductive coating 40 may be disposed upon disk 29 and spaced apart from the conductive coating 40 disposed upon the faceplate 34 if so desired, without departing from the instant invention. Transparent phosphors are well known in the art, and may be obtained for example in commercial amounts from the General Electric Company of Schenectady, New York. Such phosphors are substantially transparent, and an image may be viewed therethrough. The EC coating or layer may be of the type previously stated as marketed under the trademark Nesa by the Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company.

The EC layers 40, as well as the layer 40, disposed upon the faceplate 34 to carry to ground the unwanted portions of the electron beam 18, may be connected to a potential source 44 exemplified symbolically by the plus and minus signs shown in FIGURE 2. Each of the EC layers may be connected through a conductor to the exterior of the cathode ray tube to a selector switch 48. Switch 48 may in each case selectively connect the EC layer 40 to a positive or a negative potential with the potential source 44, as may be desired.

The operation under various potential conditions al luding to FIGURES 3(a) and (b) is diagrammatically shown therein. Potentials are applied to EC coating 40 presenting a charge condition in the area of the perforation 32 of each disk. The combination of the charge conditions of one disk with that established by the adjacent disks will effect the various lensing actions upon the beam. Thus, the beam 18 may be caused to be diverged or opened up or spread out at a predetermined disk so as to impinge upon the phosphor layer of that disk providing the display thereon. There have been chosen four disks, of the five shown in FIGURE 2; namely, disks 25, 26, 27, and 28, each of whose perforations :are aligned with those of the other disks as shown in FIGURE 3. Each of disks 26, 27, and 28 is provided I with the transparent phosphor 38 upon its face facing the one end 11 of the tube, and upon its opposite face facing the other end 15 of the tube, the EC coating 40. In order to enhance the lensing action, the electrically conductive layer 40 may also be extended into the area of the perforation 32. This later extension of layer 40 is an added embodiment of the invention.

Further explaining the operation of the invention, let us advert to FIGURE 3(a). If disk 25 is provided with a positive potential, disk 26 with a negative potential, and disks 27 and 28 each with positive potentials, there will be established, insofar as the electron beam 18 travelling from the one end 11 of the tube toward the other end 15 of the tube T10 sees it to be, a diverging lens 52 adjacent the disk opening 25 so established under the influence of the more negatively charged disk 26. Further there will be converging lens formed, namely 54 and 56, adjacent the perforations 32 of the disks 27 and 28. The action of the lens at 52, for example, will cause the electron beam 18 to be spread out or apart or diverge so that portion of the electron beam 18 so diverged from its path Will strike the adjacent transparent phosphor layer 38 upon the disk 26. The phosphor layer thereon will respond causing a target indication at the disk 26. The remainder of the electron beam 18 not so diverged will, under the influence of subsequent lenses 54 and 56 be converged back together and away from the disks 27 and 28. Therefore the remainder of beam 18 will not impinge upon the phosphor 38 of either disk 27 or 28.

In FIGURE 3(b) another illustration is shown Wherein disk 27 is energized with a ne ative potential and disks 25, 26, and 28 are all energized With a positive potential. Therefore the electron beam 18 projected through the perforations 32 of the disks 25 to 28 will be diverged by the lens 58 formed adjacent perforation 32 of disk 26 under the negative potential influence impressed upon the EC layer 40 on the disk 27. The electron beam will therefore diverge causing the phosphor 38 on the disk 27 to respond to the diverged portions of the beam impinging thereupon. The remainder of beam 18 will pass through the perforation 32 of the disk 27, being converged by the lens 60 formed at perforation of the disk 28. Thus it can be seen that by selectively energizing particular EC coatings 40 of the disk indicating the level desired to be displayed thereupon, the electron beam may be made to impinge upon Whichever level or disk it is desired to cause impingement. Therefore, it is under the control of the operator to select and to indicate the third or Z dimension of the display. Of course FIGURES 3(a) and (b) show rather rudimentary exemplifications of the invention and its operation. The lensing effects are exemplified and selected therein in order to explain its operation. Such lensing action could also be termed deflection, in the sense that a portion of the electron beam is deflected away from its path through the perforations if such terminology is desired.

The particular embodiment of the invention illustrated and described herein is illustrative only and the invention includes such other modifications and equivalents as may readily appear to those skilled in the art, within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The combination comprising: a plurality of apertured, spaced apart sheets; said sheets having an electron-responsive phosphor positioned on the front surface of each sheet around said apertures; means for causing an electron beam to enter selected said apertures from the side facing said front surface; and means for causing the electrons of said beam to impinge upon the phosphor around said selected apertures of a selected one of said sheetswhereby said impingement can produce light in a selected plane, to thereby produce a three dimensional display.

2. The light-producing combination comprising: a plurality of apertured, spaced apart sheets, said sheets positioned so that said apertures are aligned to form tunnels; a phosphor positioned on the front surface c each said sheet around said apertures; means for causin an electron beam to enter selected said tunnels from th side facing said front surface; and means for causing sai beam to depart from said tunnel and impinge upon th phosphor around the apertures of a selected one of sai sheets-whereby said impingement produces light in selected plane.

3. A display-producing target comprising: a pluralit of apertured, spaced apart sheets, said sheets positione so that said apertures are ali ned to form tunnels; phosphor positioned on the front surface of each sai sheet; a conductive coating adjacent the back surface c each said sheet; means for causing an electron beam t enter selected said tunnels; and means for causing th traiectory of said beam to curve and impinge upon th phosphor on a selected said sheet, said last means corr prising means for applying potentials to selected sai coatings.

4. In a cathode ray tube having means for forming a electron beam; the combination for producing three d: mensional displays comprising: a target comprising a plr rality of apertured spaced transparent sheets, the ape] tures of said sheets being aligned; a phosphor on th front or each said sheet; a conductive fihn on the back 0 each said sheet; means for causing said electron beam t enter selected said aligned apertures; means for causin said beam to diverge so that portions thereof impinge o the phosphor on the front of a selected sheetwhereb said impingement produces light; said last means com prising means for applying potentials to selected said cor ductive films-Whereby the phosphors on selected sheet produce light to provide a three dimensional effect.

5. A cathode ray tube for producing three dimensionz displays, comprising: a target comprising a plurality o apertured spaced transparent sheets, the apertures of sai sheets being aligned; a transparent phosphor on the fror of each said sheet; a transparent conductive film on th back of each said sheet; a cathode; means for formin the electrons emitted by said cathode into an electro beam; means for causing said electron beam to travers selected said aligned apertures; means for causing sai beam to diverge so that portions of said beam impinge o the phosphor on the front of a selected sheetwhereb said impingement produces light that is visible throug' said sheets; and means for causing the portions of sai beam that do not impinge on said phosphor to be cor verged so they do not impinge on the phosphor on an other said sheets, said last two means comprising mean for applying potentials to selected said conductive filmswhereby the phosphors on selected sheets produce ligh to provide a three dimensional effect.

References (Iited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,142,106 Boswau Jan. 3, 193 2,646,521 Rajchman July 21, 195 2,714,688 Reed Aug. 2, 195 2,756,366 Maynard July 24, 195 2,793,288 Pulvari May 21, 195 2,795,730 Fromm June 11, 195 2,827,593 Koller Mar. 18, 195 2,848,638 Smith Aug. 19, 195 2,850,677 Cutler Sept. 2, 195 

